Impromptu style

Hugo Chavez first came to prominence as the leader of a failed coup in 1992. Six years later, he was swept into office in a wave of popular support and won another term as president in October 2012.

A habit of impromptu policy-making was integral to his style from the start of his 14 years in power.

Time and again, Mr Chavez would make major decisions on an ad-hoc basis - often during the course of a rambling and unscripted weekly television broadcast to the nation, known as Alo Presidente, the BBC reports.

He was particularly prone to quick-fix solutions in economic policy, resorting to regular currency devaluations, expropriations of private firms and public-sector pay rises rather than tackling underlying structural problems in the economy.

This approach continued even as Mr Chavez lingered on his sickbed in Cuba, with a 32% devaluation of the bolivar in February.

As a result, Mr Chavez bequeaths a nation beset by crumbling infrastructure, unsustainable public spending and under-performing industry.

Supporters say Hugo Chavez spoke for the poor, but critics say he had become increasingly autocratic and wasted Venezuela's oil revenues.